Posting Format
INTRODUCTION Within Shadow Fleet, there are 3 main types of sims: PBIM (Play by Instant Messanger, better know as real time or live role playing), PBF (Play By Forum), and SMS (Sim Management Software/Nova). Technically speaking, SMS and Nova are simply forums with additional things going on in the backend, with the biggest difference being the look of the user interface. You should refer to your CO if you are unfamiliar with how to use either of these systems. SMS/Nova have a bit of a learning curve, but are easy to use once you’ve learned the various bells and whistles. Forums are usually pretty easy to figure out. Play by instant messager should be pretty obvious, as all you’re doing is replying to instant messages, which most of us do on a regular basis. Luckily, the posting doesn’t vary much between the 3 types of sims. There are however, many key points to go over when formatting a post. So without further ado, let’s dive in! NOVEL VS SCRIPT Generally speaking, the sims within Shadow Fleet use a Third Person Omniscient point of view for writing. This is typically referred to as “Novel Format.” This means that you, as the narrator, are explaining to the reader exactly what is going on. Below is an example: ::: Lieutenant Durand fidgeted on the transporter pad, excitement and trepidation causing him to be uneasy. He knew that this new assignment was going to be a difficult one. He’d asked for a challenge. He hadn’t expected, however, that he’d be assigned to a ship of the line. This is the format in which the majority of your posts should be written. The one exception to this is personal logs. Depending on your CO’s preference, you may or may not be required to write personal logs as part of your expected monthly posting contribution. In the case of personal logs, you should write them in the First Person. Below is an example: ::: I’d asked for a challenge, and I definitely got it. I’m really looking forward to serving aboard the Vincennes. I’ve had some time to look over the deck plans and specs, and she is a magnificent ship. I only hope I can live up to the expectations that have been placed upon me. Notice how in the above post, the person to which the paragraph is referring is the narrator. It’s important to know the difference between these two types of posting. Script formatting, however, follows an entirely different rule set. Very few sims still use this format, but it is important to know, in case you are a member of one of those sims. Script formatting (as you might imagine) follows the same standard formatting as a movie/tv show/play script. Below is an example: ::: ::: Int. Bridge USS Prestige ::: Captain Markus enters the bridge from his ready room, a mug of coffee in his hand. Sighing, he sits down in the center seat, sweeping his view across the bridge at the assembled crew. ::: CAPT MARKUS '' ::: ''(gravely) '' ::: ''Thank you all for coming to the Bridge on such short notice. As you can imagine, this isn’t easy for anyone, but I have a few things that need to be said. '' ::: ''LT REED ::: I think I speak for everyone assembled here sir, when I say we all know what the stakes are and we’re all willing to accept them. Notice that there is a huge difference between the two types, Novel and Script formatting. Please make sure you know for certain which you’re using. As with all things, if you’re in doubt, ask your CO. TIME IS ON MY SIDE Timestamps are an important part of simming. They explain when something falls chronologically within the storyline, and whether or not something is concurrent with events, or is what’s typically called a “back post.” A back post is something that happened before current events but is still important to them. Generally the time stamp should go at the top of your post. The timestamp should at the very least show the following: Location Local time and date So, a very minimalist timestamp would look like this: ::: Main Bridge ::: Stardate 74232.8 ::: 1900 hours Many COs (the writer of this lesson included) prefer to use a bit longer timestamp. For example, timestamps on my sim follow this format: ::: Bridge, USS Prestige ::: 74232.8, 1900 hrs It should also be noted that some COs prefer not to use stardates. If your CO does prefer you use stardates, they can direct you to a stardate conversion tool, and will likely tell you the beginning date of the mission in the traditional calendar so that you can adjust accordingly. In the event that your CO does not like stardates, your timestamp will probably look something like this: ::: Bridge, USS Prestige ::: Apr, 2387, 1900 hrs Most of these come down to a matter of sim flavor, and are frequently explained in your sim’s FAQs. If you have any questions about whether or not you should be including timestamps (you probably should be...) you should contact your CO or Department Head. JOINT POSTING Joint Posts tend to be the lifeblood of a sim. This is a way for more than one player to collaborate on a specific topic or mission plan. It’s also about the only way that a CO can call a staff meeting and have everyone respond. Your CO will lay out the basic formatting of the Joint Post, and you will mostly just have to fill in where they’ve asked you to give your responses. They will then respond accordingly, and everything will go along as planned. When typing a joint post, we do something called “tagging.” Tagging another player in a post means that we have directly stated or asked them something, and require a response before moving forward. Please Note: It is very important that you respond to joint posts in a timely manner so that you don’t hold up any plot momentum. The typical expected response time for a joint post is 24 hours or less. To tag another character, you’ll type something like this: Captain Markus When replying to a joint post on a forum, the typical way of making sure all of the formatting stays in place is to “QUOTE” the post. Once you’ve done that there will be a quote tag at the top of your post that reads something like McGee and at the bottom there will be one that reads /quote or something similar. When replying to a joint post, you should remove these 2 tags, and reply ONLY where you have been instructed to. This doesn’t mean you should only say one or two things, feel free to respond exactly as your character would, and say as much or as little as you need to. THAT’S NOT MY NAME It is considered terribly bad form to post as someone else’s character. In fact, it’s an outright bannable offense on most sims, so don’t do it unless you have permission. BRIEF TIPS FOR FORUM PLAYERS Whether you are posting in character, or out of character: YOU DO NOT NEED TO START EVERY POST WITH “HELLO.” In character it just looks silly, and out of character it’s incredibly irritating. Remember that most forums don’t have spell check software, and that your browser may or may not catch everything. The best thing for you to do is to type out your post in a word processor (Google Docs is a great one that’s completely free), and to go from there. BRIEF TIPS FOR NOVA/SMS PLAYERS SMS and Nova can be very difficult to work your way through if you’ve never used them before. There is definitely a learning curve, and new players who are unfamiliar with the system can be very put off by this software. DON’T BE! Once you’ve learned how to use it, Nova/SMS are very simple and easy to use. The most important thing to know about NOVA/SMS is that for the most part, everything you need is in a dashboard in the upper right corner of the screen. This grants you access to mission posting, PMs, Personal Logs, and a variety of other things. You can also customize just about anything you like within NOVA/SMS and it is highly unlikely that you will break anything if you are a basic user. So go ahead and fiddle with the buttons to learn your way around. As far as posting, you’re going to be using the same kind of format as a forum or any other type would. BRIEF TIPS FOR PLAY BY INSTANT MESSANGER PLAYERS Play by Email players really have the least amount of things to worry about. You simply need to reply in the IM, and follow the formatting guidelines listed above. CONCLUSION You should be able to figure out exactly what style of sim you’re posting to very easily. It is most often posted under the ship’s information. Your CO will tell you what type of posting style they prefer.